The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) announced today that it has received a $600,000 Ford Foundation grant to build a permanent, philanthropic endowment dedicated to the people and communities of the eight-county South Jersey region.

The grant will support in part, the next three years of operations, resource development and grant-making of CFSJ, a nonprofit, public charity. Created by and for the people of South Jersey, the Community Foundation of South Jersey uses its assets – financial and others – to impact significant positive change in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem counties.

“The Ford Foundation is pleased to partner with individual donors and foundations of New Jersey to establish the first community foundation in southern New Jersey,” said Linetta Gilbert, Ford Foundation Senior Program Officer.  “We see the launch of this community foundation in the Camden region as an opportunity for local leaders to expand access to economic, racial and social equity throughout all of the communities of southern New Jersey.”

Community foundations such as CFSJ enable a broad cross-section of donors to easily and effectively support causes they care about, immediately or though their will. CFSJ multiplies the impact of giving through pooled resources, enables donors to target specific causes, and builds a permanent endowment to benefit the community long-term, in contrast to yearly agency fundraising efforts.   

“This is an important milestone for South Jersey,” said businessman and civic activist Jack Tarditi, Chair of CFSJ’s Board of Trustees. “The Ford Foundation’s generous grant will enable this regional foundation to help our neighbors in need throughout southern New Jersey. We are here to inspire philanthropy – from South Jersey, for South Jersey – because every contribution, however large or small, can make a difference.” 

Recognizing that success will depend on inspiring and instilling donor trust, CFSJ has formally affiliated with the highly respected and well-managed Community Foundation of New Jersey, a 30-year-old community foundation that awarded $28 million in grants last year.  CFSJ was established to tap unrealized charitable resources in South Jersey and address funding disparities between the region and the rest of the State. With help from the Community Foundation of New Jersey, CFSJ has already identified more than $3 million in donor and operations funds. 

The Foundation’s Board of Trustees comprises a diverse group of business, government and civic leaders from across South Jersey (see attached list of Trustees). These leaders are committed to aiding the region in harnessing its philanthropic and humanitarian potential to improve quality of life in areas ranging from hunger, health care and the environment to housing, education and the arts.

“We envision a transformed region, where all contribute to healthy communities and a productive regional economy,” said Melinda K. “Mindy” Holman, CEO of Holman Enterprises and CFSJ Board of Trustees Vice Chair. “We believe that the community foundation will be a catalyst for increased giving as an investment in the region’s development and well-being. We intend to engage donors from every part of our region as we build a permanent endowment that serves the people of southern New Jersey.”

For more information, contact (856) 216-8150 or info@communityfoundationsj.org